Biography:Catharine has worked in the fashion industry for over 20+ years for such companies as Liz Claiborne, Gucci, Ferragamo, Brahmin, the Museum of Fine Arts, and Priscilla of Boston. She also started her fashion career in modeling at age 16 working in Boston and eventually New York. She has also taught Marketing, Management and Fashion for over 10+ years at the college level. Catharine is currently finishing her doctoral dissertation at Salve Regina University on the Ethics of Consumer Neuroscience.

As an academic she has co-authored The Branding of Sustainable Fashion and has presented at several conferences on the use of Consumer Neuroscience in Fashion. She serves as the faculty advisor for the NRFSA and acts as the merchandising liaison for the National Retail Federation. She is also a member of the steering committee for the new core initiative. Other projects in progress are the exploration and integration of technology into the fashion merchandising curricula and partnering with Lasell’s Small Business Institute to enhance networking and learning opportunities for fashion students.

“I like to bring current and relevant knowledge of the industry into the classroom. My students thoroughly engage with hands on group projects based on contemporary and hypothetical case studies. The projects involve interactive strategic planning and open discussion. I encourage students to think on their feet with both practical and innovative ideas. Their education has a skill based value once they enter the workforce.”